How OnePlus created a perfect community is a lesson for all tech providers

There are so many smartphone companies out there that buying one can seem like a chore to many. Not so for OnePlus users. Ever since it began just about half a decade ago, OnePlus has had one ace up its sleeve that’s more noteworthy than any of its premium features. Yes, we’re talking about the OnePlus community – the secret ingredient that turned the smartphone maker into one of the leading players in the competitive Indian market. How did OnePlus create a community that continues to be a model for other tech companies in the space? Here are some lessons for those who seek to emulate its success.  Keep It Simple Silly At its core, the OnePlus community is composed of fans that really, really love the product. So much so that they can spend endless time trying to get their voice heard. It’s a bit like finding your passion and giving your all to it. The relatively simple interface powering the community is deliberately kept this way so that only genuine opinions and thoughts are expressed out loud. By keeping things simple, OnePlus has made its community equally accessible to everyone so no one feels superior to anyone and can voice themselves genuinely. Have An Engaged Community Engagement is the fuel that powers any community. It is also something that OnePlus instinctively picked up. Whether it’s releasing important news updates or sharing the top management’s views, the news-first nature of the OnePlus community along with the number of volunteer members ensures that the one thing the community never runs out is engagement. After all, without this fuel, it won’t be possible to run anything, including the OnePlus community. Let’s repeat that one more time – engagement is everything. Listen To Feedback And Act On It There’s no point of having a community if there’s no one to listen to your views. It’s the only difference between being a company blog and having a community whose responses a company actually cares about. Whether its bug issues or product improvements or simply discussing how to optimally use OnePlus phones, the community feedback feature is the reason why OnePlus has been able to differentiate itself from its competitors. After all, who doesn’t want a smartphone just the way they’ve asked for it to be made? Host Events And Giveaways It’s not enough just to have a community that cares about your product. The OnePlus community is special because they are ways to win them over by regularly holding contests for them or simply inviting them to play Raffles after performing certain tasks on the site to win coveted OnePlus merchandise. A little incentive for all the hard work the community puts in shows that OnePlus values their contribution in more ways than one. In return, the community feels happy and satisfied at being taken care of in its own way. It’s a win-win for everybody. Make Them Feel Special Last but not least, the OnePlus community is made to feel special even over and above contests and giveaways. As the long queues for OnePlus launch events will attest, users love the spirit of being near fellow OnePlus fans and being the first to get their hands on its latest smartphones. That’s because they know their contribution has helped shape the smartphone being launched. In turn, OnePlus invites the community to participate in a range of interactive experiences, exclusive demos, and the chance to win goodies that are only available at the launch event. Blow Their Mind Once in a while, it helps to pull a rabbit out of your hat when the community least expects it. Like the recently announced OnePlus Music Festival that will be headlined by Katy Perry and Dua Lipa, two of the biggest pop acts in the world right now. Why should a marquee smartphone company organise a music festival you might ask? Because, as the company motto says, Never Settle. If you’re on the fence about being part of a community, give the OnePlus community a try at this link. The author is not a part of Firstpost editorial staff and this article has not been edited by our newsdesk